Why Successful Employee Resource Groups Need a Sponsor
Do you need a sponsor for your Employee Resource Group? The short answer? Yes. As with many things in business, sponsorship and mentorship are crucial to success.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can help employees find a meaningful place in your organization and be a driving force for change.
However, Employee Resource Group's best practices are not always clear.
That’s why we write these guides and offer a program to help companies start successful employee resource groups – starting an ERG doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming.
Securing a sponsor is one of the most critical actions you can take when starting an Employee Resource Group.
Their support can help make your ERG a success and even assist you in other aspects of your career.
ERG executive sponsors are senior leaders (ideally at the executive level) in the organization who act as a mentor and help to bridge the gap between the ERG and the company’s leadership.
Sponsors can help you get buy-in from leaders, build effective programs, and ensure that your goals align with the overall business goals.
Keep reading to learn five reasons why successful ERGs need an executive sponsor.
1. Sponsors Can Help You Understand How To Achieve Your ERGs Goals
When starting an ERG at work, it’s common to feel unsure about how to achieve your goals. Don’t worry – you’re not alone!
Your sponsor can step in and help you outline and articulate your ERG’s mission, needs, and short and long-term goals.
They can also help you define your role and align it with your strengths.
Once these crucial elements are in place, you can start defining the key roles you need to fill.
To name a few, you will need strategists that can help you with planning, evangelists who can spread the word about the ERG and recruit new members, and mentors who can teach you how to get things done.
2. They can help you set reasonable expectations with members
An executive sponsor is there to help and support you but remember – as an ERG leader; you are there to help and support your members.
It can be tempting to offer your members all kinds of potential benefits and exciting plans for the future. However, you need to keep their expectations reasonable.
ERG member burnout is common, and one of the leading causes is mismatched expectations.
Your executive sponsor can help you to ensure you don’t make promises you can’t deliver to your members.
Read: 5 Reasons Your ERG Needs Clear Goals.
3. Sponsors can ensure the ERG’s goals align with business goals
Once you’ve set manageable expectations for your ERG, it’s time to start setting goals.
However, when you’re just beginning an ERG at work, you might not understand how to align those goals with overall business goals.
A savvy sponsor will provide you with essential business insights and help you connect those to your ERG’s strategic vision and goals.
If your ERG aligns well with the company’s overall goals, it’s easier to obtain buy-in and support from executives at all levels.
Read: How To Sponsor An Employee Resource Group here.
4. They can liaise with company executives
Whether you’re just starting an ERG at work or running it for years, there will be times you need to work with company executives.
For example, you may need funding from them, business support, or project collaboration. However, it can be intimidating to approach them for big asks.
However, when you have an executive sponsor, they can take on an essential role as a liaison and bridge the gap between the ERG and company executives.
They already have established relationships with these individuals, and they influence to make requests on the ERG’s behalf.
They can also tell you when your ask is unreasonable, and their honesty can be priceless.
5. Executive sponsors can help prevent ERG leader burnout
Starting an ERG at work and taking on a leadership role means you’ve signed up for a rewarding experience.
This is a noble undertaking but doesn’t usually come with additional pay or benefits.
If you’re not careful, you will face spending extra time at work. Many ERG leaders end up feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.
That’s where an effective ERG sponsor can step in and help. They can offer you guidance and advice to help you manage your role.
They might:
Liaise with your manager, encouraging them to block off time during your work hours so that you can work on ERG duties.
Help you think about innovative ideas to engage your members and delegate tasks to them rather than shouldering all the work on your own.
Connect you with the right people within and outside the company, building your network and gathering more support and membership for the ERG.
Validate your emotions and experience and share their own experiences.
Making the most of your sponsorship
Of course, for a sponsor to be effective, they must be on the same page as the ERG and make a real effort to understand their needs and challenges.
A 2021 survey from Great Place to Work showed that there is often misalignment.
For instance, while 100% of corporate sponsors said their leadership encouraged ERG participation, only 52% of ERG leaders agreed!
You must have a good working relationship with your sponsor to get the most out of your sponsorship.
Therefore, you should choose them carefully and only reach out to people you admire and with a proven track record of championing diversity.
You should feel like you can comfortably speak with them about challenging topics.
In your initial meetings with your sponsor, set expectations to ensure that your needs and priorities are aligned.
Do you need guidance starting at ERG at work and choosing a sponsor?
We coach ERG Leaders on how to get the best results from their executive sponsor through our 12-week program.
